Cecilia May (May) Gibbs Britain, Australia, 1877-1969
Past Sales
Sales by Medium
Where to buy or sell art works by May Gibbs
Auction Houses
About May Gibbs
Born in England in 1877, May Gibbs was the daughter of English artists who migrated to Adelaide in 1881, eventually settling in Perth. May's illustrations were appearing in the local newspapers when she was as young as twelve. She studied in London, and on her return to Australia in 1913, lived in Sydney. By her creation of 'The Gum Nut Babies' and 'Snugglepot and Cuddlepie ' she became the best known illustrator and children's writer of her time, her books being in continuous print since publication.
Our database records art auction sales of works by May Gibbs from 1985 and in total 27 works by the artist have been offered for sale, of which 18 (67%) were sold. The highest price recorded for the artist is $39,360 for Chrysanthemums sold by Bonhams in August 2021. No works have been offered for sale this year, and the last sale we have recorded for the artist was in 2023. Works by May Gibbs are held by the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Art Gallery of NSW and National Gallery of Australia.
May Gibbs is listed in the following standard biographical references:
- McCulloch, Alan McCulloch, Susan McCulloch, Emily McCulloch-Childs. The New McCulloch's Encyclopedia of Australian Art. 4th Edition, Aus Art Melbourne & The Miegunyah Press, 2006. Page 457
- Dictionary of Australian Artists Online, an online resource for biographical data about Australian artists, designers, craftspeople and curators.
Artists' Resale Royalty
Could the second and subsequent works by this artist sold after June 9, 2010 for over $1,000 be liable for the Artists' Resale Royalty? More info…
Yes, eligible, subject to the artist satisfying the residency test. The artist is alive or has been deceased for less than 70 years. Contact the Copyright Agency for information on the residency test.
The Australian Art Sales Digest is a database of over 610,000 works by more than 12,000 artists who are listed as having either lived or worked in Australia or New Zealand, and an additional 36,000 foreign and other artists, offered for sale by auction in Australia and New Zealand from the early 1970s to the present day.
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